


Can't Shake 'Em

by Emily (JustAround)



Series: August 2018 Fic-A-Day [13]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 17:02:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15890286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAround/pseuds/Emily
Summary: Natasha is being followed.





	Can't Shake 'Em

She was being followed.

It was not an unusual occurrence for her; ever since her reveal of SHIELD and splintering of the Avengers, it was a rare night when someone wasn’t prowling around, watching her every move.

What was unusual was her inability to shake her current stalker.

Back during her days in the Red Room, there were many reasons Natasha was chosen to carry the mantle of the Black Widow. Her ability to slip away from anyone attempting to follow her was one of them. It was almost as if she had a superhuman ability to blend with the shadows, twist through them until she evaded any of her trackers. No other recruit had her ability, and she prided herself in it.

It was quite the hit to her ego to suddenly find herself lacking.

Picking up her pace, Natasha cut through a back alley, keeping her footsteps silent as she ran towards the wall of the building. She jumped as she neared it, her momentum as she hit the wall springing her up, giving her enough air to grab the bottom of an emergency escape ladder. With lightning speed she climbed up the ladder, already knowing when she hit the top, she would sprint diagonally across the building and jump to the building kiddy-corner. It was a great plan, really.

It was destined to fail.

As she climbed over the top of the ladder, her shoes making only the smallest of crunching noises as she stepped onto the roof, the sudden flickering of a lighter froze her in place. She watched, unmoving, as the lighter lit the end of a cigarette, briefly illuminating the woman’s face. Her follower, who managed to not only figure out where she was going, but reach the top before she did. It begged the question: who exactly was following her.

“Didn’t even see you scout this,” said the unknown woman, blowing a puff of smoke off to the side. “Most of the others girls woulda missed that, woulda missed following you up here.”

“Who are you?” Natasha asked, her voice cold as ice as she adjusted the Widow’s Bite.

“Name’s Faith,” was the reply. She took another drag before adding, “We’ve been on the lookout for you. And your friends. We’re hoping to offer you some jobs.”

“Perhaps we don’t need the work.”

Faith chuckled, tapping bits of ash off the end of her cigarette. “Betcha ya do.”

Natasha did not answer, not wanting to confirm or deny anything the strange woman - Faith - was saying. After the crash and burn of SHIELD, and the later implosion of the Avengers, she and the others refused to trust easily. Or even at all.

Sighing, Faith took one final drag before dropping the cigarette to the ground, crushing it under her boot. “Look. I know what it’s like to be on the run, always looking over your shoulder. We ain’t perfect, but we get shit done. Our way.”

It was the last bit that caught Natasha’s attention, even as she shifted slightly as Faith stepped near her. The woman smirked as she easily side-stepped her and grabbed onto the ladder Natasha had come up. Giving her one last look, she said, “Give us a call if you want. We’ll be waiting.”

With that, Faith disappeared down the ladder. Natasha waited a moment before glancing down, scowling as she saw the other woman was already gone. Even though logically she knew it was pretty much impossible for someone to move that quickly, a part of her had already been expecting it. The same part of her that was unsurprised by the business card resting in the back pocket of her pants. Pulling it out, she glanced it over quickly.

_Faith Lehane  
The Guardians_

Turning it over, she found a singular phone number on the back. Pressing her lips together, Natasha sighed. “Better talk to Cap about this.”


End file.
